OMG, can we talk peel-off masks? Seriously, just thinking about them reduces me to tweenspeak. During my formative years I LOVED a good peel-off mask; I used to raid my mom's skincare stash on the regular, looking for something I could slap on my skin and then slowly peel away. It may have something to with the fact that I obsessively peel and pick scabs, lips, stickers on fruit, ANYTHING--and maybe that's some kind of psychological issue, but this post is about masks.

Right! Moving on.

Boscia's new Luminizing Black Mask satisfies the nostalgic craving for a peel-off mask in a major way. It goes on thick, black, and shiny, and you can feel it drying and tightening up. I love that feeling!

Instructions say to leave it on for 15 minutes, but depending on the humidity level and the amount you've applied, it may take a little longer to dry. Here in Hawaii, even in my air-conditioned house, I needed 25 minutes because of the incredibly high humidity.

And upon peeling it off? I'm gonna have to break out the OMG again. I could actually see little bits of dry skin and well, crap, for lack of a better word, attached to the mask. It was like a light version of a Biore pore strip, but for my entire face. And afterward, my skin felt smooth and soft, not tight or dry.

Now, a key point: the secret to a great peel off mask experience is to resist the urge to blend or "feather" the edges as you would with any other face product like moisturizer, primer or foundation. If you apply the mask too thinly at the edges, it'll be difficult to peel off evenly. Make sure to apply a thick, even layer, and pay attention to the edges, around your hairline, jawline, eye sockets, and mouth. Thickness is the key!

That said, you might have a few stray bits stuck to your face after you peel the whole thing off. Not to worry; just rinse with warm water and you're golden.

Overall, I'm loving this mask for both nostalgia factor and effectiveness. Highly recommended!